FAN GUIDE

WHAT KIND OF MOTOCROSS BIKES ARE USED?

You will see many different colours and brands of motocross bikes this weekend. The primary manufacturers are KTM (orange), Yamaha (blue), Kawasaki (green), Honda (red), Husqvarna (white), GasGas (red), Suzuki (yellow) and Cobra (yellow). There is no rule of what colour your motocross bike has to be. Most motocross bikes have either four or five gears, and the gearshift is on the left side of the motocross bike in front of the footpeg. The clutch is located on the left side of the handlebars, while the throttle and front brake lever are located on the right side of the handlebars. The rear-brake pedal is located on the right side of the bike, in front of the footpeg.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE 450CC AND 250CC MOTOCROSS BIKES?

The bikes used by riders competing in the Walton TransCan GNC are differentiated by engine size. Manufacturers generally make 250cc and 450cc four-stroke machines, and rules allow the smaller 250cc (cubic centimetre) machines to compete in the 450 class. The main difference between the 250 and 450 is, of course, engine size. The 450’s extra 200cc’s equates to about 15 more horsepower and a lot more torque. Typically, the 450 has a longer muffler than a 250 in order to meet sound requirements and tame its explosive power.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 250 PRO AND 450 PRO?

When the four-stroke motorcycles were introduced a number of years ago, the next items that needed to be updated were the names of different classes. Gone were the old 125 and 250 classes, and the new 450 and 250 classes were born. The 450 class is now for the big bikes and every bike over 250cc’s; this is usually the fastest class of the day. The 250 class is now for any bike under 250cc’s and these lighter rocketships can be ridden hard and are fun to watch. HOW DOES THE STARTING GATE WORK?

The starting gate is a rather simple device used to create an equal start opportunity for every racer. It falls backwards, toward the riders so riders cannot “jump” the gate to gain an advantage.

WHAT’S THAT 30–SECOND BOARD THAT PRECEDES EACH START?

After the riders are lined up with their motorcycles running, the start procedure begins with the 30-second board. As soon as the board is raised, the riders have thirty seconds to prepare for the gate to drop, at which time the card is turned sideways, signifying that the gate will drop in the next five to ten seconds.

HOW DOES THE START WORK?

With riders all running lap times within a few seconds of each other, getting a good start or even the holeshot will give a rider a huge advantage for the win. One key to a good start is gate selection. Riders tend to choose the gate that will give them the straightest and quickest line to the first turn.

WHAT DOES THE HOLESHOT MEAN?

The term “holeshot” refers to the process of getting to the first turn before the rest of the field after the starting gate drops. The key is a combination of concentration, quick reflexes and throttle control.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT FLAGS SEEN ON THE TRACK?

You will see several different flags waving at one time or another during the race, signalling to the riders what is going on around them. A yellow flag means ‘proceed with caution’ - another rider is down or stalled on the track ahead, and a blue flag means ‘move over’ - you are about to be lapped by the leaders. A white flag at the finish line lets the riders know that there is one more lap to go, and the checkered flag means the race is over! WHY ARE SOME OF THE AMATEUR BIBS YELLOW?

A yellow bib is only worn by the points leader of the class it is worn in to indicate they are currently leading the championship. The yellow bib wearer can be different from moto 2 to moto 3!

WHY ARE SOME OF THE PRO NUMBER PLATES RED?

A red number plate in the 250 and 450 pro classes indicates who is the points leader for each class’ championship. The red plate holder can be different each round, but without question, every rider wants to be the red plate holder - it’s prestigious and very difficult to hold onto!

WHAT IS A FACTORY RIDER?

The six manufacturers that participate in the national series and Sunday’'s Triple Crown Series Pro National – Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, GasGas, Husqvarna and Yamaha – all try to hire the best riders to use their equipment. That means the riders are paid salaries, their motorcycles are state of the art and well maintained, and they get to work out of the large factory rigs. In addition, each team has a staff of professional technicians for all areas of the bike, and the riders have access to some of the best practice and testing facilities in the sport.

WHAT’S A PRIVATEER?

Independent riders who lack factory sponsors are considered privateers. They have limited sponsorship, and they often buy their equipment and pay their own way to the races. Some of them even work 40+ hour work weeks before the line up at the start line each weekend! They are the working-class heroes of the Triple Crown Series MX Tour.

HOW DOES A RIDER WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP?

Riders earn points based on their finishing positions in each moto (25 points for 1st, 22 for 2nd, 20 for 3rd etc.) The rider who can accumulate the highest point total at the end of all three races at the Walton TransCan GNC will be crowned his or her class champion. HOW MUCH ARE THE TOP BIKES WORTH?

A new 450 motocross bike retails for around $9,000. From there, race teams will spend months on the machines to improve performance on the track for their riders. Everything from the engine, exhaust system, suspension, tires, transmission, ignition, and even the new fuel injection systems (on some bikes) are scrutinized. Teams will build parts for their race bikes that aren’t available to the public and have astronomical price tags. Many of these parts are often made of titanium or magnesium to reduce weight. By the time race bikes roll out of the shop and to the races, they can be worth as much as $70,000 in the USA.

HOW DO RIDERS TRAIN FOR MOTOCROSS?

Scientific tests have suggested that motocross is the second most physically demanding sport in the world, just behind soccer. Unlike soccer, where common injuries include muscle pulls and bruises, motocross racers face broken bones, torn ligaments, and other serious physical injuries if mistakes are made. Motocross requires riders to be absolutely focused the entire time they are racing, which requires near superhuman cardiovascular endurance, as well as strength, power, agility, flexibility and timing. While many privateers are forced to implement their own training regimens, top racers hire trainers to build strength and cardiovascular programs, and even ride and train with them to make sure they are working properly on track. Most riders like bicycling, running, swimming and other traditional activities to build a cardiovascular base, and do their strength and core training in a gym.